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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. pit — a hole
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. fine — high quality
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. swing — music
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. swing — to play on
  14. fine — all right
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. pitch — completely
  18. swing — in golf

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com